[jrm4]

Black person here. I don't think (though I'm not going to say I'm 100% certain) that the word "prejudice" is best here?

You (very probably) made a choice to be a certain way, here. So, the "judice" part is correct, and people should perhaps be nicer, but this doesn't feel like the right word.

[sprite]

The word has nothing to do with whether you chose to be that way or not.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/prejudice

[jrm4]

According to the dictionary, sure. What makes you think the "dictionary" is the end-all-be-all for how words work?

[Causality1]

A victim complex is a common response when privileged people realize others find them insufferable.

[s1artibartfast]

A victim complex is a common response when anyone realizes others find them insufferable.

[havkd]

That’s an interesting argument when we are talking about blacks.

[MisterTea]

> Black person here.

No disrespect but what does being black have to do with the usage of the word prejudice? Because the parent you responded to used it correctly.

[jrm4]

"Correctly" is weird, which is precisely why I tried state my point in a very non-conclusive way. Which went over like a lead balloon. :)

[kaycebasques]

There's a lot of connotations to that word related to racism. I have no problem with the original commenter calling out that it may not be the best word to use.

[MisterTea]

> There's a lot of connotations to that word related to racism.

It's use is not exclusive to racism. To exclude other uses is ironically prejudiced.

[dragonwriter]

“prejudice” has nothing to do with whether the prejudgement is based on an innate feature or a choice.

[JCharante]

Isn't religion a choice? I know plenty of people who have converted and they weren't forced to convert. You can be prejudiced against someone else of a differnet religion.

[jrm4]

Not purely. The meaning of "religion" varies greatly across both time and space, and it would be difficult to argue that it is always (or even often) something like "pure choice."

It frequently carries a cultural component such that the law sees fit to treat it like other arguably immutable identity type things, which seems correct to me. Though, it is complicated.

[djrogers]

> The meaning of "religion" varies greatly across both time and space

Ok, I was kinda sorta with you until the second time you decided on the ‘flexibility of words’ defense… honestly, if you’d just gone with:

“using a charged term like prejudice to describe disagreement (even when distastefully communicated) over lifestyle choices dilutes the word, and minimizes what it means to someone who experiences true prejudice every day”

or something like that, I think you’d have gotten your point across without the downvotes and discussion.

But maybe that’s not what you meant, and maybe there would still be discussion because what I said ain’t necessarily true - it just sounds hard to argue with.

[jrm4]

You say that like the downvotes and discussion are a bad thing; I'm under no illusion about how people are going to take it about half the time I bring up race.

Last I checked, I can't trade these hacker news points for cash and prizes. :)

[ncmncm]

Please don't ever stop. We need your voice here.

[kaycebasques]

Thank you for the feedback. I understand your point.

I was going off a dictionary definition along these lines:

> preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience

But I totally get that prejudice has connotations here that make it inappropriate for me as a white man to use

[lotsofpulp]

I cannot believe I am reading someone claim prejudice is a word that should not be used if you have a certain skin color.

Did the judicial system stop dismissing cases with prejudice?

[ianmcgowan]

Did the CIA stop terminating people "with extreme prejudice"?

[KSteffensen]

Why is it inappropriate for a white man to use the word prejudice?

Isn't any sort of negatively biased opinion prejudice, regardless of what it's against be it gender, race, dietary choices, religion or anything else?

[jrm4]

I was definitely not saying "white people shouldn't use it."

What I was saying is a little bit closer to - "Prejudice" connotes "identity" type issues, and I don't think 'veganism' is like that.

(Once again -- CONNOTES -- for all the dictionary lovers out there)

[ghostbrainalpha]

Absurd. Have you heard of "religious prejudice"? That's prejudice and based off of a choice.

Racial discrimination does not own the term prejudice.